Trolley-wheel spring.



PATBNTBD FEB. 25, 190s.'

R. E. NOBLE. TROLLEY WHEEL SPRING.

APPLIOATION FILED JULY 3. 1907.

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UNITED STATES, PATENT OFFICE.

RALPH E. NOBLE, OF CIEIIOAGO, ILLINOIS, AS SIGNOR TO MORGAN-GARDNER ELECTRIC COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

TROLLEY-WHEEL sP'RIivG.

Specification of Letters Patent;

Patented Feb. 25, 1908.

Originalapplioatinn filed January 13 1905. Serial llo. 240.963. Divided and this application filed July 3I 1907. Serial No. 382.011.

To all whom it concern:

Be it known that I, RALPH E. NOBLE, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the; county of Cook andState of Illi- 1101s, have invented certain new and useful .forks to maintain thewheel in a central position, or to conduct electricity from the wheel to the harp.

is. :tion of such spring with the trolley wheel and The invention consists more particularly in an improved sprmg -and m the combinaharp. Itsobjects are to provide a simple, economical and efiicient device for the purpose specifi'ed, which may be readily inserted in position. and will be p j and which will have such other advantages as will be pointed out hereinafter. a

f I have shown my improved device in the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 represents a side view of the trolley wheel and harp, which may be of any ordinary or preferred form of construction, provided with springs according to this invention. Fig. 2 is a top plan View of the [same with parts broken away or shown. in

section for convenience in illustration. Fig. 3 is a sideview of the preferred form of spring,

' and Fig.4 is an edge view ofthe same.

' The trolleyharp or fork 5 is providedwith an ordinary shaft or pin '6which carries a trolley or trolley wheel 7, which may be provided with a bushing or lubricating sleeve 8. At either end of the hub or central portion "-9 oi the wheel 8, is a washer 10, preferably made of copper or other suitable conducting material. While these. washers might be. dispensed with, yet, I have found them of advantage in actual practice. are inserted between the ends of the hub, and

Springs 11 the harp as shown particularly in Figs. 1 and 2. These springs consist of two annuli or washers'or disks 12 which are connected by means of an integrally formed folded strip or tongue 13. This spring is constructed so that the annular portions will normally extend at some distance apart, as shown in F1 4, so that when pressed together, they w'l exert an outward or longitudinal tension ain st the end of the hub and the inner side 0 the harp adjacent to the bearing for the provements in Trolley-Wheel Springs, of

positive in operation,-

pin. These springs'll are inserted, as shown in. Fig. 2, between the washers 1 0 and the inner sides of the harp arms. The loop or end 15 where the spring 11 is folded, may be formed in any desired manner, but I prefer to have it formed as shown, so that it will lie upon one side of'the folded spring. The projections may then be turned so as to enter a slot or opening 16 in the fork arms. When inserted in this position, the spring is prevented from turning with the trolley wheel, the washer 10 taking up the wear between the wheel and the spring.

Ordinarily, a small amount of lubricating material will pass out around the washer so positive in action and adjust themselves with greater precision than springs which are It will be noted rigidly secured to the wheel or the harp.

These springs are located in such a position.

that they are effectually protected, and are not subject to electrical injury occasioned by trolley'orharp striking against the line wire orsupports, or other obstructions, andwill not be injured by any arcs formed between the trolley or the harp and the main conductor. These springs may be readily stamped or formed from any suitable spring or resilient material, such as spring brass or the like, and are then bent up as shown in Fig. 4 for insertion in position. Although the form shown with the somewhat reduced connecting strip or portion 13 is a convenient and desirable one, I do not wish to limit myself to any particular form, as the spring may be formed of any suitable strip with the ends punched out or with one end punched and the other slotted in any ordinary manner; and it will also be noted that the'form or por tion which projects into the slot of the-harp may be made in any desired manner without I departing fom the spirit of this invention- Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is -1., The combination with the trolley wheel 'and axle, of. a harp provided with arms having openings or recesses therein, centrallzmg sprin s interposed between the hub of said whee and said arms; said springs bem formed .of a foldedpiece of spring metal an having projecting loops extending into the apertures in said arms.

'2. The combination with a trolley harp and wheel of folded springs between the wheel and harp, said springs bein'g provided with projections engaging with said harp but not I attached thereto.

3. The combination with a trolley. harp having openin s or recesses in the sides washers at the ends of the hub of said wheel,

and. fiat folded springs between the said washers and the ends of the forked arms, said sprin s having projections'adapted to eng .ge loose y with said arms 5. A spring for-trolleys, comprising a bent strip of suitable metal having projection formed at one side adapted to engage with the trolley harp, and having holes in the free ends for engagement with the axle of the trolley.

' 6. The combination with a trolley-harp and its wheel, of V-shaped contact-springs loosely interposed between the wheel and the arms of the harp, theend of said spring'having outwardly-extending portions passing through openings'in the arms of the harp to prevent the rotation thereof with the wheel. 7. The combination with a trolley-harp and its wheel, V-sha'ped contact-springs loosely interposed between the wheel and the 'arms of the harp, the shaft-ofthe wheel passing through the upper ends of the springs, the lower en wardly-extending looped portions passing through openings in the arms of the harp.

RALPH E. NOBLE.

Witnesses E. J. Goss, B. MAC BRAIR.

s of thesaid springs havingout- 

